LAURA VON MARI: INTERVIEW

October 4, 2023

by martina rexrode

Laura von Mari is carving out a singular path for herself in the music world with the recent release of her EP Forevermore. Even with a long list of influences from her earliest years, it’s hard to deny the originality seeping throughout each of the five songs. From complicated memories of an ex-girlfriend to more fictionalized songs crafting characters who explore unique perspectives, von Mari introduces herself to new listeners with an incredibly strong point of view. We talked to her about the new EP, her journey through multiple genres, and dream collaborations.

Congratulations on the release of your EP Forevermore! How does it feel to have this project in the hands (and ears) of listeners?

Laura: “Amazing to have it finally done and out in the world!”

How would you describe the energy of the EP as a whole to someone listening for the first time?

Laura: “Hooky, groovy and smooth.”

Do you have a favorite song off of Forevermore? If so, what makes it your favorite?

Laura: “At the moment it’s ‘Fog.’ It has such a hypnotic and relaxed vibe to it.”

Were there any songs that changed significantly between when they were written in 2019 up until now?

Laura: “Only ‘Forevermore,’ the title track. I worked with my engineer, Greg, to get it to sound more Y2K and have a cool breakdown for the bridge.”

How did your time at Goldsmiths College influence your way of creating music?

Laura: “It pushed me massively outside my comfort zone and asked me hard questions like WHY I even make music in the first place. It definitely exposed an inner layer I was keeping hidden.”

What influenced the genre switch from dance music to indie pop?

Laura: “Well, I was always writing pop music since I was young. It was actually in London that I got into producing dance music. Pop was just me returning home to my roots. But I haven’t given up making dance music and intend to keep going!”

Which aspects of the wide range of artists you grew up listening to (Britney Spears, Steely Dan, Debussy) did you tap into for this EP?

Laura: “All of them and none of them at the same time. This project feels singularly ‘me.’ But I’d say I lean on all of them as my foundation when it comes to melody-writing, pop groove, jazz voicings and spicier composition.”

Out of those artists, who do you think you’d create the most interesting collaboration with?

Laura: “Oh, good question. I think Steely Dan. I love their storytelling and the complexity of their compositions. I would learn so much crafting a song with them if I could go back in time and work with Don Fagen and Walter Becker together.”

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MOON WALKER: INTERVIEW

September 30, 2023

by emma schoors

“I think I’m always writing about things that I’ve yet to fully conceptualize or come to terms with,” Moon Walker’s Harry Springer says. “Oftentimes, the first time I’ll actually start processing something is when I’ll write a song about it. It’s either like a superpower, or a detrimental flaw in my development.”

With an entire discography written, produced, and performed in Springer’s bedroom, DIY is the name of the game for Brooklyn-based Moon Walker, a project formed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic after The Midnight Club’s unofficial ending. Speaking “Truth To Power” is of the utmost importance lyrically — his 2021 debut record bears the same name, and digs through the gnarly aftereffects of consumerism, hive mentalities, dystopian governmental policies and more.

His most recent offering, “Give The People What They Want,” packs all the garagey fuzz of a Jack White record, but Springer has most notably been compared to T. Rex’s Marc Bolan. “That was a weird thing to deal with in The Midnight Club, because I would either force myself to write Bolan-esque love songs with cosmic, other-worldly lyricism, or I would let myself write political songs. Those two things don’t necessarily fit together that well,” he says. “Marc Bolan is one of my favorite lyricists, but I can’t do what he does. I’m glad I stopped trying to copy him.” More than anything, Springer hopes “the lyrics make people think,” a goal that has been met continually through his use of pointed imagery and blunt yet necessary callouts.

Moon Walker’s third LP, “Apocalypticism,” is due for release Oct. 20. In the meantime, we caught up with the rising performer to speak about translating thoughts into product, taking his material on tour, and more.

You’re in the midst of your US tour. What element of tour life has surprised you the most so far?

Moon Walker: “Considering how much driving and sitting around there is, I’m surprised at how little downtime I have. Maybe I’m just lucky to be touring with such fun crews, but I had a big stack of comic books that I was going to get through on tour and I’ve hardly had time to read any of them.”

Before forming Moon Walker, you were part of The Midnight Club, a band with a considerably different sound and artistic approach. What lessons did you take with you from that group, and in what ways did it fuel your understanding of musicianship?

Moon Walker: “The transition from The Midnight Club to Moon Walker was very smooth. I essentially developed all the skills that I use in Moon Walker while I was in The Midnight Club. There wasn’t much of a formal disbanding. I always liked making music alone, so as soon as I was able to produce and sing my own music, it made sense to make it a solo project. However, I learned a lot about what types of deals, partnerships, etc. to avoid. I learned a lot about what does and doesn’t work when it comes to making a career out of music.”

Can you take us through the genesis of your single, “American Dream Come True?” How did the concept for this one come about?

Moon Walker: “The song started with that vocal sample that you hear throughout the song. I got a decent chunk of the instrumental worked out before even thinking about the lyrical concept. The first vocals I wrote were the first verse, which set the tone for where the rest of the song had to go.”

How does this new single differ, either conceptually or musically, from past releases?

Moon Walker: “Conceptually, it’s pretty much the same as my other music. Maybe a bit more focused and direct, but it’s a theme I’ve explored on a good chunk of my discography. Sonically, it’s a pretty big departure. As I previously mentioned, I started the song with a gospel vocal sample. It was my first time using samples of any kind. The first thing that I was inspired to write was the bassline. Under normal circumstances, I think that bassline would’ve felt too much like AC/DC or something to me, and I would’ve scrapped it, but I was just so excited by how it juxtaposed the vocal sample. So right off the bat, I was going off in directions I would’ve never considered because of the sample.”

You’ve made a name for yourself across social media by writing songs in response to political extremism and late-stage capitalism, among other topics. Why did you choose this route lyrically, and what response do you hope it inspires in listeners?

Moon Walker: “This sounds so corny, but I really didn’t choose it. When I sit down to write a song with no agenda or intention whatsoever, it ends up being political. If I start writing with an agenda or an intention I can write other types of songs, but when I just let music pour out of me in a very authentic, unforced way, this is the lyrical content I end up with. That was a weird thing to deal with in The Midnight Club, because I would either force myself to write Bolan-esque love songs with cosmic, other-worldly lyricism, or I would let myself write political songs. Those two things don’t necessarily fit together that well. Marc Bolan is one of my favorite lyricists, but I can’t do what he does. I’m glad I stopped trying to copy him [laughs]. I just hope the lyrics make people think.”

Out of your entire discography, which song has been the most emotionally difficult to write?

Moon Walker: “Easily ‘Nothing Can Save Me (From Myself).’ It’s still hard for me to listen to, especially when I’m down on myself or feel like giving up. But it’s also my favorite song I’ve ever made.”

Having formed this project during COVID, your ability to tour and promote your music in-person was halted. How has it felt to finally share these songs with live audiences, and see their reactions in real time?

Moon Walker: “It feels surreal. When I wrote this music, the last thing on my mind was performing it. I had no idea when I’d be able to perform live again, so for my own sanity, I had to force myself to get comfortable just making records, not knowing if they’d ever be played live. Getting to hear people singing with me and talk to them after the show about what the music means to them is truly the most incredible thing I’ve ever experienced. It reminded me that THAT is the point of music — to connect with people.”

You shared in a recent Instagram caption that you’re better at making music than you are at articulating yourself. At the risk of making you articulate yourself, why music? Why is this the medium you’ve stuck with time and time again?

Moon Walker: “Good question! Probably because it was the first one I was good at [laughs]. Whenever I go to draw, paint, etc. I get so frustrated because I have so many ideas that I want to get out and so many emotions that I want to express, but I simply don’t have the skills to know how to do it. Literally the only medium that I am skilled enough at to translate my thoughts into an actual product is music. I’ve been writing music since I was like 10, so I kind’ve trained myself to express myself through music. Throughout my life, the first way in which I process my emotions is through music. I think I’m always writing about things that I’ve yet to fully conceptualize or come to terms with. Oftentimes, the first time I’ll actually start processing something is when I’ll write a song about it. It’s either like a superpower or a detrimental flaw in my development. Time will tell!”

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THOMAS DAY: INTERVIEW

September 27, 2023

by chris richmond

Thomas Day has been writing songs since he was in the fifth grade, and you can tell — there's a maturity to his penmanship usually found in artists much older than him, and at just nineteen years old, his musical voice is tender and heartfelt. He evokes the musical strokes of some of the best balladeers of our time, but is equally unafraid to tackle a track with a more rigorous rhythm. He's spent the last few years building a following on TikTok with his emotionally-charged displays of vocal talent, his follower count currently sitting just shy of 7 million. It's all been in build up to his first full collection of songs, Love Me For Another Day, which is to be released on October 27th. The package is shaping up nicely, with each of the pre-release tracks being as accomplished as the last, the latest of which is entitled “Gravity.” There's a big future ahead for Day, and it's exciting to catch him at the beginning of his rise — it feels like his name is only going to become more and more esteemed as the future unfolds.

Your latest single “Gravity” is out now — and it's beautiful! What can you tell us about it? What's the meaning behind the lyrics of the song? What was the inspiration behind writing it?

Thomas: “Creating ‘Gravity’ was such a beautiful process. I sat down and wrote the song in one afternoon with my friends and co-writers Madi Yanofsky and Steve Rusch. It’s a song about feeling accepted and realizing what it means to truly be in love.”

I love your song “VICIOUS.” What's the meaning behind that song? Is there a difference when it comes to writing ballads compared to up-tempo tracks? Is it the lyrics that drive that distinction?

Thomas: “I also LOVE my song ‘VICIOUS.’ I started writing this song seconds after I got off the phone with my ex-girlfriend, which maybe wasn’t too good of a decision on my part [laughs]. I don’t think there is much of a difference when it comes to writing ballads compared to up-tempo tracks, I just want the song to hit home for listeners.”

Your single “not my job anymore” is your biggest hit so far with over 20 million streams on Spotify. Why do you think that one in particular has landed so well with listeners? When you recorded it, did you feel confident that it would do well?

Thomas: “I recorded ‘not my job anymore’ on a super hot day in Los Angeles. It’s definitely one of the songs that hits closest to home from me. I think that the song allows people to relate to it in many different ways, so it’s not a surprise that so many people love it! I wrote it to be a supportive song for people who are going through heartbreak. I’m honored that people love it.”

You're an incredibly modern type of popstar in that it was TikTok that first brought you to the attention of record labels. What was going through your mind when you first started taking off on TikTok? Was it always the plan to become a singer, or was it a happy accident?

Thomas: “I’ve been doing my music for my entire life. I started sort of accidentally songwriting when I was in 5th grade, actually! When my music started taking off on TikTok, and beyond, it was super, super exciting!”

You recently toured with David Kushner — what was that experience like? What did you learn from hitting the road?

Thomas: “The tour with David Kushner was so much fun! I loved being able to perform live in front of an audience. I’ll be heading on my own headline tour very soon too!”

Who are your musical inspirations? Who did you grow up listening to and who inspires you today?

Thomas: “I grew up listening to what my parents played, which was The Beatles and The Four Seasons, and many others. My biggest inspirations personally are actually probably all rooted in jazz and classical music!”

Who are your dream collaborators? Who would you love to duet with?

Thomas: “I would love to write a song with JP Saxe!”

Would you ever like to write a song for another artist to sing? If so, which artist, and what sort of song would you write for them?

Thomas: “That would be very fun! I would absolutely LOVE to write a song for Shawn Mendes!”

What music have you been listening to this year? Whose albums are you enjoying?

Thomas: “I have been listening to so much new music this year! JP Saxe’s album recently came out so I’ve been listening to those songs a lot.”

You're based in Nashville. How does this inform your music? Are you Nashville born-and-raised, or did you move there later in life?

Thomas: “Yes, I’m Nashville born-and-raised! I love it so much here. The music scene here is very beautiful!”

What are your goals and aspirations for the next few years? What would you like to achieve?

Thomas: “I would absolutely love to have a song on Billboard Hot 100!”

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'GUTS' / OLIVIA RODRIGO: REVIEW

September 12, 2023

by chris richmond

There’s been a certain level of discourse surrounding Olivia Rodrigo in relation to just how brazenly — or “plagiarizingly,” as goes the discourse — she wears her influences on her sleeve. They can be found throughout GUTS without having to look too deeply in everything from its lyrics to its chord progressions. She’s ultimately a child of both Taylor Swift and Avril Lavigne, the former’s accomplished lyrical poetry and the latter’s shouty pop-punk choruses revealing themselves across the album’s tracklist, but it’s doing all artists involved a disservice to whittle Olivia down to simply a product of her predecessors. All artists have influences — just ask Taylor and Avril about Shania and Alanis — and attempting to chase the food-chain down to its original source is just plain pointless. Deriving influence from the world that surrounds us is good and healthy and even to be encouraged. It’s what’s done with that influence that’s important, and what Olivia’s done is very good indeed.

Olivia Rodrigo is an artist of two halves; there’s her ballads, lyrically affecting and set to plinky piano, and there’s her bangers, laced with scratchy guitars and bratty lyrics. The formula was established with 2021’s SOUR, a perfectly acceptable collection for a debut artist, and she’s repeated the routine the second time around. It means GUTS feels a bit like a sequel to SOUR, a continuation of the same ideas rather than a new collection. She’s even opted for the same shade of purple as the color of choice for the album’s visuals. (Just ask Rihanna the importance of colour-association when it comes to crafting a Big Pop Girl album campaign — show anyone of a certain age Rihanna’s mermaid-red hair and they’ll immediately hear the opening synths of “Only Girl In The World”). Which is certainly not to say that we had hoped or expected Olivia to completely abandon the rocky soundscape that she did so well with SOUR, just that for her eventual third album we hope there’s a slightly more drastic departure in one direction or the other.

The bangers are more plentiful this time around, punkier, fiercer, angrier than her debut. “get him back” is the standout of the collection, with its shouty, chanting chorus, whilst “love is embarrassing” and “ballad of a homeschooled girl” are uncompromisingly and brilliantly angry at the world in which they find themselves. “all-american bitch” is a gloriously confident opening track, and “pretty please” sounds straight out of a 2000s Teen Movie final scene where our protagonist realizes that things aren’t that bad after all. The ballads on GUTS threaten to sound a touch too derivative of her previous releases, and there’s a bit too many of them — the only plagiarizing I’d legitimately criticize Olivia of is herself. “the grudge” is a lesser “drivers license,” as is the opening minute of “vampire.” And it was mightily bold of her to use a title as loaded with pop-music legacy as “teenage dream” for a song as drab and uninteresting as this.

But on the whole her pen is strong. She’s a wonderful lyricist, able to be either gut-wrenching or genuinely comical depending on what the song demands. It’s almost Lily Allen-esque the way her lyrics fizz off the page with scathing venom alongside hurried talk-singing. One thing Olivia or her music simply cannot be accused of is lacking character. We know who Olivia Rodrigo is after listening to GUTS. She’s unsanitized and clever, truthful and funny. And yes, she has her influences, but it’s a testament to how interestingly she’s molded and shifted those influences into something refreshing that GUTS sounds like an album only Olivia Rodrigo could make — and we already can’t wait for the next one.

GATLIN: INTERVIEW

September 8, 2023

by sara welden

With a headline tour and a brand new EP on the horizon, LA-based singer-songwriter Gatlin is moving along full speed ahead. After studying songwriting in Nashville, Gatlin released her debut solo music back in 2019 and has been releasing emotionally captivating songs ever since. Learn more about Gatlin in our interview with the artist below!

Hi Gatlin! Thank you so much for chatting with us. You just made a really exciting announcement: your new EP I Sleep Fine Now is coming out September 15th! You’ve mentioned that it is a collection of seven songs that walk through the stages of grief, so how did you go about sequencing this project?

Gatlin: “I wanted it to feel like an emotional journey when listening through it. A true rollercoaster that hits climax on the sixth track and the final track is an outstretched arm.”

How are you feeling in anticipation of its release? Is there a certain track that you’re most excited to have out into the world?

Gatlin: “I’m so excited — all of the songs/visuals that go along with this project feel so authentic and elevated from any other thing I’ve done. I’m honestly most excited about having vinyl for this project.”

You also recently released your new single, “Paris,” which we love! How do you go about choosing which tracks to release as singles? Is there something about “Paris” that made you feel like you needed to put it out before some of the other tracks?

Gatlin: “The songs that feel most able to stand alone are the ones I like to put as singles. The songs that I think will get everyone the most excited to hear the other ones.”

Where would you say that you draw most of your inspiration from when it comes to songwriting and production?

Gatlin: “I really love the 70s and 80s — trying to put a modern twist on them though! The artists that inspire me most that are ‘today’s’ artists all seem to be inspired by those decades as well.”

You are about to embark on your first ever headline tour, congratulations! Is there a song that you’re most looking forward to playing live?

Gatlin: “I’m looking forward to playing ‘How Do You Sleep At Night!’ I can’t wait for the drama of it all.”

I want to also acknowledge that I LOVE your sense of fashion and your style! Would you say that besides music, fashion is another creative outlet for you?

Gatlin: “Thank you so much, that is so nice, this is definitely going to my head. Fashion and aesthetic are definitely outlets for me. I’ll spend hours going to estate sales trying to find vintage clothing pieces or vintage furniture/knick knacks/art. It is very very fun for me!”

You’ve mentioned growing up on incredible artists like Stevie Nicks and Taylor Swift, how did having those influences from a young age help shape the artist that you have become?

Gatlin: “I realized this recently when I was at The Eras show… Taylor has allowed me to be me… all of my dramatics, all of my feelings, and she has validated all of them. Stevie too! These women have big feelings and are incredibly melodramatic and they are insanely successful. I’ve always been told I’m too much, annoying, crazy, etc (all adjectives rooted in misogyny [laughs]). These women and several other female artists give me permission and inspiration to be me to the fullest extent.”

Since releasing your first solo music in 2019, what have you learned about yourself as an artist? Has your creative process changed and evolved overtime?

Gatlin: “I was twenty when I started releasing music and I’m turning 25 in a couple weeks. So I’ve changed an insane amount as a human since I started releasing music. I process things differently and through a wiser, more grown up lens. I also have a lot more confidence in my songwriting ability and ear in production. I just think I not only know what I’m doing, but know that I know what I’m doing and that makes a huge difference.”

Thanks so much for your time and congratulations on this upcoming new release! You’ve got lots of exciting things lined up, but after a headline tour and a new EP, what can we expect next from Gatlin?

Gatlin: “Whew! More music hopefully! I’m currently writing the next stuff, so hopefully more music will be coming ASAP! :)”

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